Improvement in machines for charging retorts



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. FOULIS. MACHINE Fon CHARGING REToRTs.

No. 177,326.4r

Patented May 16 v7K0@@s156626 @ii/#UWM man @om mw v *Wm N. PETERS, PHDTCLUTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTDN, D. C.

B'Sheets-Sheet Z. W. FOULIVS. MACHINE Fon QHARGING REToRTs. No.177,326. Patented May1e,187s.

@m 6AM@ S www N. PETERS, FN'O-UTHOGRAFHER. 'NASMINGT-UN. D CA 3 Sheets-SheetS.

W.` Fours ,I MACHINE FOR CHAR'GING RETORTS.

Patented May 16, 1876.

No.1'77,3Z6.

w/066 GS,"

' described.

STATES PATENT CFFICE.

WILLIAM FoULis, or GLASGOW, NORTH BRITAIN.

IMPR'GVEMENT yI'N :MACHINES FCR C-HARGING R'ETORTS.

specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 17,326, 'dated May 1e, 1876; app-nemen ined March 25,1875.

Toell whom -t may concern: I

Be it know-n that I, WILLIAM FoULIs, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, North Britain, civil engineer, have invented Improvements in Charging Retorts, and in the machinery or` apparatus employed therefor, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of machines which are made use of for charging retorts; aud the nature thereof consists in certain modifications-in the details of the construct-ion of the same, hereinaftershown and The figure on Sheet 1 of the drawings hereunto appended is aside elevation, the ligure on Sheet 2 a plan, and Figure l, Sheet 3, an elevation, ofthe rear end of the charging-Ina-l chine, asl constructedin accordance with this invention.

As shown by these figures, the mechanism consists of a framing, A, supported on wheels B, by which yit is traversed upon the rails G in front of the retort-mouths D. The traversing of thevgmachine is effected by thevhydraulic-ram and cylinder E, supported on agirder or frame, F,gextendin g between the end frames A at one side of the machine. ,The ram or plunger of the hydraulic cylinder E is attached to a rack, a, which gears into a spurpinion, bsituate looselyon ay verticalshatt, c, supported inasleeve carried by the girder or frame F. On the lower end of the shaft c a bevel-pinion, d; is tixed, `which gearsy into a corresponding bevel-wheel, e, keyed on the shaftGr, ,whereonA a pair of the cs trrying-wheels When it is desired to trav- B are situated. l erse the machine along the rails from oneretort to another the clutch f, sliding on a feather formed on the upper endiof the shaft c, ispushed by the lever g into gear with the clutch-box formed on the pinion b, so that the pinion b is geared with the shaft c, and water being then admitted to the cylinder E the shaft c is rotated, and from it the motion is communicated to the carrying wheels vB through the vshaft G. Before reversing the motionof the ram within the cylinder E-that is, before returnin g the rack a to the position shown on the drawings-the pinion b is thrown out of gear withthe shaft c by raising.

the clutch f from contact with thepinion.

One side ofeach end frame A- is made vertical, as shown at Fig. l, Sheet 3, and to each vertical faceis fixed a hollow channel or guide', H. In proximity to the hollow channels or guides H bearers or saddles I are placed, on which a framing, J, carrying the charging mechanism is supported, which mechanism consists of a scoop, K, in which the materials to be charged into the retorts are placed. rEhe scoop K is attached to a circular bar or block,

L, ofmetal, fitted in bearingsM and N, in which .tached to a rack, Z, which gears into and rotates a spur-pinion,m, Fig. l, Sheet 3, fixed on a cross-Shaft, fn., on which abevel-pin1on,o, is also iixed, gearing into another bevel-pinion, p, on the lower extremity of a vertical shaft, r., whereon a drum, Q, is also placed.

On-the drum Q a chain or rope is wound,one endrof which is passed toward the forward end` ofthe machine, and carried round a grooved roller, r, carried on the frame J, thence round another grooved roller, U, centered on a stud projecting from one side of the rearward bearing N, from whence the chain or rope passes over or, into a groove, c', in the block L to that side of the block marked t, Fig. l, Sheet 3, whereat that end of the chain or rope is attached to an eye or ring. The opposite end of the chain or rope is carried from thedruIn Q to the rearward end of the apparatus, whereat it is passed round grooved rollers u, thence under and round a grooved roller, s, and over the groove s of the block L to that side of the block L marked w, Fig. l, Sheet 3, whereat that end of the chain or rope is also fixed to an eye or ring. When it is desired to move the scoop with the charge of material into the retort water is admitted to the forward end of the cylinder O. The pistonof said cylinder is thereby moved rearward, and rotates the shaft a through the intervention ofthe rack Z and pinion m. From the shaft u the rotatory motion is communicated, through the bevetgearing o p, to the shaft 1^, whereby the drum Qis rotated in the direction of the arrow on Sheet l, and `is so caused to wind on the forward hauling portion m of the rope or chain, which draws the scoop K and block L into the position indicated in dotted lilies on Sheet 1, at which position of the scoop the piston of the cylinder O has nearly completed its rearward stroke. A double stop or pawl, the construction of which is seen on an en-- larged scale at y, Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet 3, enters a notch, fz formed iii the periphery near the rearward end of the block L to keep the block and scoop K in the position shown while being moved toward or into the retort.

The pawl or stop y, which is situated on a shaft extending throughout or nearly throughout the length of the framing J, is capable of moving along `a feather on the shaft, as the scoopis traversed toward and from the retorts D, and itis held in its position in the notch y1 while movin g forward by a bracket or projection formed on or attached to the rearward end of the -block L, bearing against one side of the pawl, or other equivalent mechanism may be employed for that purpose. When the scoop Khas arrived at the position shown in dotted lilies on Sheet l, the pawl y is released from the notch y] by turning the shaft on 4which it is situated through the lever z, which, being effected, the piston or plunger of the cylinder O, on performing the remainder of its rearward stroke, further rotates the drum Q in the direction of the arrow, and the scoop K and block L being released from the pawl y, are, by the continued hauling action of the -portion of the chain or rope, turned over or inverted, so as to deposit the charge in the retort. The extent of rotatory motion impa-rted to the scoop K and block L is regulated by a stop, g4, atone side of the block, coming in contact with the projection 19, situated at one side of the bearing N. When the charge has been so deposited within the retort the pawl or claw 3/3 is, by the aid of the lever z, pushed into the notch y2, so as to retain the scoop in its inverted position.

Water is then admitted to the rearward end of the cylinder O, which, by moving the piston or plunger ofthe cylinder' 0 forward, produces an action ofthe hauling mechanism the reverse of that hereinbeforc described, and also causes the haulingchain, after having returned the scoop and block to their extreme rearward position (the claw y3 of the stop or pawl being there released-from the notch y2,) to right the scoopK and block L-that is to say, to turn them into position for the scoop Kto receive another charge. The charging mechanism is raised `and lowered to the level of any retort or row of retorts in a series by attaching to the bearers or saddles I, on which the `mechanism issupported, eyes or rings, at

the position marked z', Sheet 2, lor at any other convenient position. eyes or rings one end of a chain or rope is attached, and from thence the said chains or ropes are carried upward and over 'guidepuh leys It, supported in brackets on a cross-beam or girder, S. From the pulleys R the chains or ropes pass to drums T, fixed on a shaft, U, supported in bearings on the frames A, and on these drums T one end of the' chains or ropes is fixed, so that the ropes or chains may be wound up or unwound therefrom. On one. end of the shaft U a worm-wheel, T', is fixed and geared with a tangent screw, U1, on a shaft situate at right angles to the shaft U. When it is desired to raise or lower the charging mechanism the tangent screw U1 is rotated by a hand-wheel, U2, placed on the axis thereof, as shown, whereby the wheel Tl and drums T, situated on the shaft U`,`ai'e correspondinglyr rotated, and, winding or unwinding the chains or ropes onto or o" from the drums T,

raises or lowers the charging mechanism. The charging mechanism is guided in ascending and descending by rollers W2, placed on studs fixed to the sides of the bearers or saddles I,

and situated in the-hollow `portions of ther channels or guides H, as more particularly` seen in plan at Sheet 2 of the drawings. raising and lowering the charging mechanism the chain or Vrope drinn Q is correspondingly raised and lowered on the shaft r by a bracket,

20, fixed to the frame J.

To enable the drum Q to rotate with the shaft r a feather, r', is placed iii the boss or` eye on the drum, which enters a groove extending throughout the whole or a portion of the length of the shaft r.

It is preferred to attach the scoop K to the` block L by means of a T-headed catch formed on the scoop, entering a correspondinglyshaped groove or opening in the block L, or the scoop and block may be attached together by a dovetail joint. By this means the employment of tray or other apparatus to charge the scoop is obviated, as, when the scoop has deposited its charge in the retort, it may be disconnected from the block, removed, and recharged, or another charged scoop substituted therefor.

To remove the scoops when empty and disconnected, and to raise and return them to position for being reconnected to the block when again charged, cranes V are provided. The cranes V are supportedbn the framing of the machine, and are capable of turning through an arc.` The scoops are raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder, W, attached to the girder or frame.

To the piston-rod of the cylinder W two pulleys, l, are attached. One of the ends` of two chains, 6, are fixed to the cylinder W,as shown, from which point the chains are carried round the pulleys l. One ofthe chains 6, after so passing round a pulley, l, is conducted round a pulley, 3, thence under and rounda pulley, 4, to a.pulley,\5, from whence `it is led to and.

To each of the` hangs down over another pulley at the outer end of one crane, V. The second chain 6, after passing round the other pulley 1, is conducted to the rearward end of the machine, whereat it passes round the pulley 7, thence under and round the pulley 8 to the pulley 9, from whence it is conducted to and also hangs over the pulley at the outer end ot the other crane V.

When it is desired to-raise a scoop charged with material the hanging ends of the chains 6 are attached to it. Water is then admitted to the rearward end ofthe cylinder W, thereby causing the piston to move forward and hoist the scoop up by the chains 6. Similarly, when it is desired to lower an empty scoop, water is admitted to the front end of the cylinder W.

In order to bring the outer en ds of the cranes V immediatelyover the position occupied by the scoop, a hydraulic cylinder, X, is employed, the piston-rod oi' which is attached to a crank, 10, situated on the axis of one crane, V. Both cranes are connected together by a rod or link, 11, as shown, so that when water is admitted tothe forward end of the cylinder X, and the crank thereby moved rearward, the cranes are simultaneously turned over the position occupied by the scoop when attached to the ma-y chine. Similarly, when water is admitted to the rearward end of the cylinder X, the cranes V are caused to assume the position shown on the drawings.

Water under pressure for operating the pistons lot the hydraulic cylinders E, O, W, and X, and apparatus connected therewith, is conducted through an inlet-pipe, 12, to a valvebox, Z, placed at the rearward end of the machine. In the box valves are placed, in openthe circular bar or block L, provided with grooves r and s', the bearings M and N, the cylinder o', the rack Z, the spur-pinion m, the shaft a, the beVel-pinions o and p, the shaft fr, the drum Q, and the grooved rollers r, s, and u, all combined as described.

2. The mechanism whereby the charging apl paratus is raised and lowered, consisting of the saddles I, provided with eyes or rings, the guide-pulleys It upon the girders S, the drums T on the shaft U, the worm-wheel T', the tangent screw Ul, the hand-wheel U2, the frame I, provided with a bracket, 20, and the drum Q, all combined as described.

3. The combination ofthe cranes V, provided with pulleys, the cylinder W, to the piston-rod of which pulleys are attached, the chains 6, the pulleys 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9, as and for the purposes described.

4. The cranes V, cylinder X, crank 10, and

link 1l, all combined as and for the purposes,

described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM FoULIs. [n s.]

Witnesses:

DAVID DRYSDALE AUsToN, DAVID FULTON. 

